Chapter 31: A Single Flash of Divine Light Brings Heaven’s Pardon, and Even the Dark Underworld Shines!

Kuang Lian, a twenty-four-year-old Foundation Establishment disciple of the Soul Refining Sect, was the final examiner for the second stage of the trial.

The Soul Refining Sect, known for its dealings with spirits, suffered from a poor reputation in the outside world, often associated with grave robbers, tomb raiders, and practitioners of dark arts who raised zombies. In truth, however, they were a legitimate and upright sect belonging to the Earthly Branch, and they never forced souls to be refined. They felt deeply bitter about their tarnished public image. Seeking to improve their standing, they collaborated with the Great Thousand Sect—a place revered by outsiders as a holy land—hoping that this alliance would help restore their reputation.

The test was designed to challenge the courage and intellect of the participants. Those who could remain calm and analytical in the face of bizarre, terrifying events would naturally pass. Kuang Lian’s role was to stand at the end of the stage, using his spirit-driving techniques to harass those attempting to cross. If they reached him, he would simply offer his congratulations and grant them their pass.

However, Kuang Lian was currently facing a crisis. "Why is that family of four suddenly still?" he wondered, sensing something amiss. "The male spirit's energy seems to have waned... Has he been defeated by some means?"

As he probed further, he was struck speechless by what he sensed. Half of the dozens of spirits under his control had been beaten to the brink of annihilation, and the rest were currently being decimated. "How is this possible?!" Kuang Lian refused to believe his own senses. "The Great Thousand Sect only just taught them the method for 'Guiding Qi into the Body.' Their cultivation should barely be stable at the Qi Refining stage. How could they possibly beat my spirits into such a state?"

"It’s impossible!"

Kuang Lian felt a surge of dread and recalled all the spirits still capable of fighting. He counted them—only one-fifth remained. Fortunately, these were the elite, many of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"The one who destroyed my subordinates is getting closer..." Kuang Lian could feel a terrifying pressure, one that was naturally and completely suppressive to ghosts. A Buddhist cultivator? A Confucian scholar? Or perhaps a descendant of the Lightning Arts? He couldn't tell.

Kuang Lian braced himself. Although his opponent's strength was unknown, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator himself, and with the help of his remaining elite spirits, he couldn't possibly lose. Suddenly, a blinding white light appeared in the distance.

***

Kuang Lian’s eyes widened, his pupils constricting.

***

Qin Xi picked up the gourd that Jiang Baiqiu had discarded and examined it closely. He noticed a crack at the bottom; it seemed the spiritual nectar hadn't been stolen by ghosts, but had leaked out. He pondered for a moment, then looked up at the spirits in the woods who were being routed by Jiang Baiqiu. He felt a twinge of pity for them.

Most of these small ghosts were mere Qi Refining cultivators, though a few were at the Foundation Establishment level. Yet, they had no defense against Jiang Baiqiu’s "Righteous Qi." As someone with the Spirit Root of a Confucian Sage, Jiang Baiqiu was the progenitor of this energy, and she wielded it with devastating effect. The scene was like a divine light descending: it scattered the dark spirits, shattered their defenses, and transformed the gloom of the underworld into a place of radiant brilliance. It was a visually stunning spectacle.

"Jiang Baiqiu seems to have killed her way through alone... What should we do?" Bu Weiwei, stunned by the display, asked Qin Xi weakly.

"Follow her."

"Eh?"

"She’s paved the way for us. If we don’t move now, when will we?" Qin Xi gestured forward. "Don't be afraid of the ghosts anymore. Didn't you see how pathetic they looked when they touched her Righteous Qi?"

"Then let's go!" Bu Weiwei pulled out her Bagua mirror, shining it around to bolster her courage.

Ah Ling quickly swallowed the dried rations in her mouth, stuffed in a few more for good measure, and prepared to run, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster.

"You're eating while running. Won't you get a stomachache?" Qin Xi asked, watching her.

"Mmph, I’m a body cultivator... no problem!"

"...I can't understand a word of that," Qin Xi remarked.

Bu Weiwei chimed in, "She said, 'I'm a body cultivator, it's no problem.'"

"How could you understand that?"

"Intuition, inspiration... If you can't guess what others are trying to express, you’re not much of a fortune-teller," Bu Weiwei said confidently, wearing her opportunistic street-smarts like a badge of honor.

"Whatever, let's go before it's too late," Qin Xi sighed.

***

Kuang Lian could not believe that the girl in front of him—who was more terrifying than a billion serial killers combined—was actually at the Qi Refining stage! As she charged toward him, he reacted instinctively to the crisis.

"Spirit Possession!"

It was the most basic and versatile technique of the Soul Refining Sect: allowing a controlled spirit to inhabit one's body to lend its power. Depending on the spirit’s school, the combat style would change accordingly. Kuang Lian struck a pose, his hand dancing through the air to write a talisman that materialized out of thin air. The spirit possessing him was a Foundation Establishment talisman master, and the paper in his hand was an Immobilization Talisman.

"To try and force your way through this stage... you’ve made a grave mistake," Kuang Lian said, smiling at the oncoming Jiang Baiqiu, though his heart was racing with panic. He felt the spirit possessing him trembling and whispered, "Don't be afraid! She's just a Qi Refining Confucian cultivator. With both of us, how can she possibly stand a chance?"

"Return my spiritual nectar!"

Jiang Baiqiu leaped into the air, holding a tree branch in each hand like the wings of a white crane. A faint light bathed her robes, the edges glowing with a solid, sharp luminescence, like the fading moon on a deep night. A white blade of light slashed out from that crescent moon, carrying the vast, surging force of Righteous Qi.

Kuang Lian froze. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but in the end, only one word escaped his lips:

"Holy..."

When the Righteous Qi struck, the spirit of the Foundation Establishment talisman master was instantly ripped from his body and sent flying thirty yards away. The moment the spirit managed to float up, it scrambled away in terror. No ghost in its right mind would fight such a monster!

And as for the living... well, no sane person would fight her either.